You Are The Man
by melodramatic cliches
Summary: "It's you, Adam Torres. You are the man." Imoadam.
1. Cat Crazy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi**

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><p><em>Friday<em>

"Kill me now." You say as you look up at the huge overly colorful poster hanging next to your locker, the words in huge - yet a very extreme pink screaming out,

**SWEETHEART WEEK. GATHER UP A SWEETIE AND MAKE NEXT WEEK SPECIAL. **

**MONDAY: **Over The Moon Monday - Guys bring your lady a special gift she won't forget!

**TUESDAY: **Tracing Tuesday - Trace a portrait of your man ladies!

**WEDNESDAY: **Wet 'N Wild Wednesday - Guys and girls, get wet and wild in the front of the school during lunch with sprinklers and hoses!

**THURSDAY: **Thankful Thursday - Time to get mushy here ladies and gents! Write a letter to your sweetie, but don't show it to them until Friday!

**FRIDAY: **Formal Friday - At lunch will be "lover's lunch" and that is where you will sit with your sweetie and share your letters over food! (Takes up fourth period and lunch)

**HOPE TO SEE YOU PARTICIPATING IN THESE! **

"And why would I dare kill you, Adam Torres?" Imogen Moreno piped up next to you, startled you jump and let out a high pitched squeak from your throat, - Great you sound like a girl, something you try to avoid around other girls.

As you collect what cool you have left, you divulge into conversation with the ever so quirky and as some say - clinically insane, Imogen Moreno. The same Imogen Moreno, who had a obsessive crush on your brooding best friend, Eli Goldsworthy last year and had managed to scrape what hope he had with getting back with your other shy friend, Clare Edwards right off the stove. You had tried to run the other direction whenever you saw her, but she always seemed to be there, or if you were with Eli she was definitely there.

Although since then you have seen a improvement in Imogen, she wasn't clingy to the brooding writer and wasn't out to ruin the petite and shy journalist anymore, instead she focused her obsessions with objects, objects which changed every week. This week you notice is a kitty cat week for her as she is lugging around a thrashed, stuffed tabby cat in her arms.

"Look." You sigh as you nudge towards the poster which was by her right shoulder, she looks up curiously and begins to read the huge print, pushing her oversized glasses up her nose - unnecessary glasses you note, she had perfect 20/20 vision, but preferred to wear glasses for no reason whatsoever.

"Hmm. So its just sweetheart week. I was beginning to wonder when that would begin, I've noticed a change in Clare lately, she seems more eager and mushy around Eli, I suspected it was because Valentine's Day is rounding the corner and what a surprise! It is! Gee wiz did this date surely hit me in the face!" exclaimed Imogen as she looks back at you with a sweet grin on her stretched plain lips, you found yourself growing irritated as you knew she didn't understand _why _you are so down in the dumps about sweetheart week.

"You don't get it do you, Imogen?" You ask the quirky brunette, she breathed softly before moving her stuffed tabby to her right arm and she lightly touches your left arm with her hand causing your skin to flinch, but she doesn't budge - never does the slightest thing scare Imogen Moreno.

"Oh yes I do, Adam. You don't like sweetheart week because you have no sweetheart. Last year, the most fashionable gay in the school, Fiona Coyne was your date, but now that she is fully out of that posh closet, you have no one - oh! And because you're a wee bit jealous of the love bug going around here, examples such as your older brother Drew Torres and his ever so bossy girlfriend, Katie Matlin always seen sucking each others lips left and right in these halls or our friends Eli and Clare's subtle flirts and shows of love. You feel left out, Adam. Don't worry I am too." finished Imogen as she gave your arm a light squeeze, her sharp unpainted fingernails scratching deep into your white flesh and soon she let go, fully holding her stuffed tabby in her arms.

You don't say a word as Imogen continues to stare into your blue eyes, her big brown eyes boring into yours and you swear if it was possible she could possibly lose herself into her eyes since you losing yourself into hers is highly overrated in her opinion.

"Be my sweetheart." proclaims Imogen and this statement startles you. It wasn't a question, no not at all, she confidently proclaimed for you to be her sweetheart - all of next week.

You.

You as Imogen Moreno's - the cat crazed and history fanatic - Imogen Moreno's date.

Somehow you couldn't find your tongue under all her words she had spilled from her own lips, it weighed your tongue down and proved yourself to be a buffoon in front of her, she giggles and it sounds like chimes that your uptight mother hangs on her deck outside your kitchen door.

"Great! We're each other sweethearts! This will be so fun!" Imogen chirped, still at this moment you couldn't find your tongue, it was still heavy as she piled more and more words on your swollen tongue, holding it down. Surprisingly, she swooped in and placed a delicate kiss on your cheek, causing your cheeks to go ablaze at the mere touch of another's lips on your face, the last woman to have done that was shamingly your mother, but when Imogen removed her lips from your face she smiled once more before skipping past you, although she shouted out a few more words,

"You better have a gift for me on Monday, Adam Torres! Next week I'll become best friends with bamboo lovers!"

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><p><strong>AN: I'll be having this one shot turn into a six shot mini story. I'm typing the second chapter as we speak so please enjoy this. (: **

**NOTE: Chapters will be short, I'm not looking for something UBER long, I wanna keep it short and somewhat simple. So yes, please enjoy AND review!**


	2. Blue Gems

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi**

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><p><em>Monday<em>

You walk inside the congested hallways inside your devil inhibited high school and immediately regret it once you see the red streamers lining the walls and the hearts taped to the dirty lockers. The place seemed too mushy for your taste, last year you were completely into sweetheart week with Fiona.

You had gotten her a golden necklace on Monday.

You had received a sloppy and poorly done sketch of your face on Tuesday.

You had stayed on the sidelines with a drink guzzling Fiona on Wednesday when she proclaimed she was not getting her clothes soaked in water, that and she had a massive hangover lingering in her head.

You had written her a long two paged letter about how much you adored her from her curly head to her heel clad feet and wondered how much she had written about you on Thursday.

You had sat with her at lovers lunch with Eli and Clare and while your best friends were fawning over each other's handprint letters sealed with sloppy kisses, Fiona was too intoxicated to read yours and the one she had written to you was a simple, _"I like you and my water bottle." _

You had spent the entire weekend in shame and sadness over how the one relationship you hoped to have worked had failed so miserably.

Since then you have been scared, afraid, frightened by the word relationship, the word itself made goosebumps skim across your pale body and make you swallow that huge lump that was sitting in your throat for the past months. You sit there and watch as others form relationships, intertwine their fingers and place small kisses on each other's lips, and you feel envy and shame course through your veins because you are not that man that girls talk animatedly about at the dirty lunch table or through the congested and full halls, _you are not that man._

Sighing, you push your way through the halls and pass people you see daily, you wave a hello to Katie who was holding a small teddy bear in her petite and soft hands, she lightly caressed its face unknowingly as Drew wove his arms around her waist and gave her a light flurry of kisses on her cheek, causing giggles to erupt from her mouth and through her perky lips. You gave your brother and his enthusiastic girlfriend a small smile before passing by them and continuing down the hall.

Finally you reach your locker, you had expected to see Imogen standing there, a panda backpack straining her back, her brown eyes perky and ready for the oncoming day as she would sway back and forth on her combat boot feet, but instead you see your best friend leaning against your locker with his trademark smirk slapped onto his smug face.

Never had you ever wanna punch your best friend, but his demeanor made you wanna slug him as hard as you could manage, but you would come out more damaged than the supposed injured one.

"What, Eli?" You spit as you approach him and his smugness was heavy in the humid air, he chuckled and pushed the rolled up sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, showing off a paler shade of skin than your own.

"Oh nothing - besides the fact that Imogen just about gushed to me this weekend about how _you _were her sweetheart this week." Eli said in a lighter voice, a smile on his face as he sees you're obviously uncomfortably and in emotional pain by his statement, you roll your eyes and give him a daggering glare. "Hey now! Don't shoot me glares, dude! I'm just stating what I heard around here." Eli said with a grin playing on his lips as you lightly shove him, sending him a step back - barely any harm there you realize, his laughter only increase as he realized your anger towards this matter.

"Adam! You can't shove Eli around like that, he bruises easily." teased Clare as she walked up joyously, a huge playful grin gracing her lips as she immediately laces her small fingers with Eli's, a softer grin appears on your best friend's lips as he looks down at his girlfriend with passion lingering in his jade green eyes.

"Did you like your present?" murmured Eli as his eyes locked down at the blue gem hanging from Clare's neck, you also lock eyes with the blue gem, memorized by the item's beauty, you knew Eli must have been saving up his money from his bookstore job, picking up extra shifts just to pay for the precious jewel hanging around his love's neck.

Clare reached up and lightly touched the gem without taking her gaze off Eli, you started to feel a lump form in your throat by their interactions, this was something that would never happen to you, you would never get a look from a girl like one Clare was giving your best friend, you couldn't find a way to have a girl even give you the time of day.

_You are not that man. _

_You will never be that man. _

_You are not a man._

You were soon pulled from your thoughts when you felt someone poke your arm playfully, you jump by the touch and hear chuckles surround you. Turning slightly to your left you see Imogen stranding by you with a grin on her face, Clare and Eli's chuckles behind you, but you ignore the two and hope for the lovers to leave you at peace - or at least with Imogen so you could give her the gift you bought for her this weekend.

'Hello there, sweetheart!" exclaimed Imogen and behind you, you could hear the sound of Eli stifling a laugh, you turn sharply and give him the dirtiest glare you could muster.

"C'mon, Eli. Walk me to class early." Clare egged on as she grabbed Eli's arm and started dragging him away, you watch as Eli's grin grows wider as his eyes dart between you and Imogen, he even makes a kissy face before Clare completely turns him around and starts scolding him like Cece would do if he refused to wash dishes.

You sigh and turn around to face Imogen, but gasp when you see she already has the stuffed panda bear in her small hands around, she lightly stroked the soft fur covering its body, she even grazed her fingertips over the prickly bamboo stick the panda bear was holding in its hands.

"Wait.. How did you get-" You begin to say, but Imogen ushers her hand up to stop you from furthering your stammering words, you can't help, but notice the many rings on her fingers, you figure this was another thing she had copied from Eli, but you notice the rings are different, she wears a Christmas tree ring on her thumb, a ring that has a orange tabby on her index finger, a huge sunflower ring on her middle finger, a nice clean cut diamond ring on her ring finger - despite that Imogen wasn't even married she still possibly liked the idea of wearing a diamond ring and a pink heart ring on her pinky.

You realize at this moment how different Imogen Moreno really is, from her high pigtails to her red ruby shoes, she was a different type of girl, nothing like how Clare is or how Fiona is, Imogen was a completely unique and quirky girl, someone who was now catching Adam's attention.

"Your backpack was open a tad bit and I saw Ralph's ear pop out so I plucked him from your bag while you were too busy shooting glares at Eli Goldsworthy." Imogen admitted as she moved the panda - Ralph to her arm, and quickly grabbed your hand, leading you down the hall as she continued to talk mindlessly of her morning.

You didn't interrupt her, it wasn't because your tongue was heavy under her vocabulary, or because you didn't have a word to say to the panda lover - it was because you _wanted _to hear her words, you wanted to hear about the two stacks of pancakes she had and how she had made her eggs have a smiley face, you wanted to hear about how she counted every red car on her walk to school.

You wanted to hear about Imogen Moreno's morning life, it intrigued you and more so, you also didn't mind the fact that she was still holding your hand.

Just as you think her words won't make your tongue heavy, she spills some from her lips,

"Hmm, I can't wait until tomorrow, Adam Torres, your face will be interesting to draw!"

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><p><strong>AN: Please review! **


	3. Mainstream Paper

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.**

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><p><em>Tuesday<em>

Your palms are sweaty as you sit down nervously on the wooden stool. You begin fidgeting with your hands, scratching at your palms and picking at your bitten fingernails, a nervous habit you picked up as a young child during a confusing time.

As you glance around the fairly huge and congested arts room, you see your older brother with his girlfriend, he was sitting slouched in the chair while Katie frantically tried to get him to stay still while she tried to trace him on a piece of paper, but she kept making mistakes and erasing which was making Drew chortle in laughter at his girlfriend's easy frustration. You let out a slight smile at the sight and you direct your attention back at the empty easel before you, which erased your smile from your face.

Imogen was late.

This wasn't like her, you mentally note, Imogen was always on time for everything. She was never late to English class, or when there is play production happening she is always right on time, ready to go, but she wasn't here, you almost begin to feel as if she stood you up.

Did she stand you up?Did she get up this morning and look into the mirror and declare proudly,

"_I will stand Adam Torres up, he is not the man, he is not a man for me, he is not a man."_

Did she try to avoid you today in the halls, did she see you searching for her and sneakily and slyly avoid you and your tendencies to find her?

She did, you notice sadly as you see the room filled with lovers drawing one another, Drew and Katie had given up on tracing and had decided to attack each other's mouths, Eli and Clare which were next to you were in a giggle fit as Eli tried to see how Clare was drawing him, but she was holding the paper to her chest tightly, saying over and over how horrible her drawing was, how it wasn't good, but Eli had pried it from her hands and smiled as he saw her work, then the words they had exchanged next had somehow made you feel worse than you already had felt.

"Clare.." Eli began as his eyes scanned the tracing of himself, sure it wasn't as creative as Imogen's drawing of him which was a sketch he had hanging in his dark clad room, instead this tracing was slightly - well not even slightly, it was downright horrible as Clare had said, she couldn't get the shape of his nose right and had accidentally colored his eyes purple instead of green, but instead of teasing Clare about the drawing, you see as Eli sets it down on the table next to his stool and looks up at his love with adoration in his green eyes.

"I love it. Its beautiful, I'll take this home and find a frame for it, it'll be right by where all the things you give me are." murmured Eli as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, pressing their lips together and you swore you heard 'I love you's' being exchanged under their lips.

This was what you hated the most about being the single man, while your tool of a brother gets the girl you set your eyes on first or your two best friends are always attached at the uniform slacked hip and not to mention when you see your ex lesbian lover riding on a scooter with another girl, it doesn't help your ego or self esteem whatsoever, in fact it brings you down hard, and crushes any hopes for winning a girl over who will accept you, for _you. _

Groaning, you pull your phone from your pocket and check the time, it was 11:52 and Imogen was suppose to be here drawing your face at 11:30.

_But she stood you up._

_Because you are not that man._

_Because you will never be that man._

_Because you are not a man._

You angrily pull yourself up from your stool which had surprisingly pulled your two best friends from their kissing charade to look at you oddly.

"Where are you going, Adam?" Clare asked, her voice filled with pure innocence, innocence which was placed by her bible hobbling mother which you could not stand for even a minute, especially since she had married the truck loving buffoon's father.

"Home." You mutter under your breath as you stomp out of the arts room, ignoring Eli's shouts from behind you as you continue down the grubby and messy school hallway, passing by the sickening red streamers and cardboard hearts, you instantaneously go by the nearest heart will with sparkles and smiley faces and rip it in half, throwing its remains on the ground.

You could not believe one ounce of your luck at this school when it came to ladies, you could never keep one for long, Fiona lasted for a month, Katie for a week and now Imogen couldn't even last a damn day with you.

You continue down the hall and towards the front door, wondering of ways to get back home when you stop at your tracks at who you see sitting on the pavement before the school, chalk marks lacing her hands, her rings in a pile by her ripped up leggings, her big brown eyes content on her drawing on the ground.

Imogen was sitting there - _drawing with chalk._

"Imogen?" You ask as you retreat down the steps towards her, she immediately pulls a earbud from her ear, you can faintly hear pop music blaring from the bud as she quickly turns her iPod off and looks up at you with a soft smile on her face.

Imogen Moreno, always wearing a smile on her face no matter what happens, she can always have a smile grace her soft face.

"Hello Adam Torres. Sorry for not showing up in the arts room, I was walking past a little girl playing with chalk on my way to school and she let me use them - I have to return them soon, but I did manage to draw your face." Imogen confessed as she clapped her hands together, a dust appearing from the crevices of her hands as she stood and looked down at her work she had been creating all day.

You stand by her and look down, your mouth opens in a gasp as you see your face created on the pavement before the school, she had managed to get the shape of your face right, your eyes were colored the darkest shade of blue and you had a tiny smirk on your face, the same smirk Imogen likes to say you stole from Eli.

Imogen didn't stand you up, the whole time she was doing what she was suppose to be doing and she had spent more time on it than anyone at the school had done for their sweethearts.

"Imogen.. I.." You found yourself speechless as you continued to stare down at the pavement in sheer wonder of what Imogen's palms could create which a piece of stolen chalk.

With everything Imogen Moreno did you found yourself with a heavy tongue, your tongue growing heavy by her work, but even growing heavier when she leans up to press her lips against your cheek and begins to spill heavy words,

"Say no more, Adam Torres. My work marvels you, it does with everyone. Pavement is a better easel than paper, what do the underground people say? Oh yes, that paper is too mainstream, well I suppose it is."

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><p><strong>AN: Please review!**


	4. Bare Arms

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi**

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><p>"I-I'm not so sure, Imo." You stammer as you cross your arms across your chest nervously, feeling the bulge of your bands under your arms, a constant reminder of your true identity. You didn't wanna jump out and get wet in the sprinklers like everyone else was doing at the moment, you didn't wanna risk too much, not here - not in front of your peers.<p>

But as you scan your surroundings in the wet parking lot, you see as Drew, who was shirtless and earning ogles from other girls much to Katie's pleasure, stride up to Katie and wrap his arms around her waist and pull her off the ground, twirling her around, causing her to squeal in absolute delight and immediately forget that her best friend, Marisol Lewis was staring directly at Drew's abs which were structured perfectly on his stomach.

Now why can't you have what your brother has? Why can't you have abs and pull your shirt off and twirl Imogen around and earn ogles from girls.

Oh yeah, that's right.

_You're not that man._

_You're not the man._

_You're not a man._

"Oh don't be such a party pooper, Adam Torres! Have some fun every once in a while!" Imogen shouts as she claps her hands together happily and looks around at the happiness rushing around her, you look over at your sweetheart, she had opted out of wearing a bikini as some girls were wearing and was wearing a oversized Paramore tee shirt and baggy shorts, her hair was down and you took the time to notice how soft her long brown hair seemed to be when it wasn't in buns or pigtails, it actually looked quite beautiful to you as you admired it.

"I'm not being a party pooper, Imogen. It's just that.. You don't understand." You conclude as you shift awkwardly and continue looking around, feeling distant and out of place in your jeans and white wife beater which you had stolen from Drew's closet that very morning.

Imogen sighed dramatically next to you and placed her petite hands on her waist, surprising you that she was wearing no rings or bracelets whatsoever, her arms were bare, which was a rare sight for you.

"Oh Adam Torres, why must you be such a difficult individual." Imogen breathed as she grabbed your hand, a action that you have grown used too since Imogen was fond of hand holding, always grabbing your hand whenever she could and walking from class to class or locker to locker or even to lunch - Imogen always grabbed your hand, but your heart still skipped a little beat at the mere touch of her hand in your own.

Imogen led you away from the chaos out in the parking lot and through the side door in the school, the school was quiet, no one was roaming the halls since most of the school was in the parking lot with their lover.

As you and Imogen tip toed through the halls of the satanic school you both attend, you round a corner with Imogen leading the way and she abruptly stops in front of two wide doors, you look at her confused and then up at the fine print above the door.

**DEGRASSI COMMUNITY POOL**

"Why are we at the.. Pool?" You question Imogen, she didn't say a word as she released your hand and pushed the doors opened which were surprisingly open, she walked through with no hesitation, unlike yourself as you towered behind her, closing the doors softly behind yourselves.

"The doors are always open, I usually come here when I need peace and quiet, the pool is never used anymore since Simpson buckled down under rules." Imogen stated as she edged near the deep end of the pool, you found yourself standing next to the fearless brunette as she looked down at her reflection in the pool, her expression was one that was blank, but she had thoughtfulness in her brown eyes.

Imogen looks up from her reflection and directs her attention at you and softly smiles, almost in a reassuring way.

"You trust me, Adam Torres?" Imogen questioned, you gulped and slowly nod at her words, not sure of what you could say to the girl next to you.

"And you do know that I would never try to embarrass you or be ashamed of who you are right?" Imogen added, you looked at her oddly, wondering where all her heavy words were coming from and why they weren't weighing your tongue down.

"Yeah.." You say slowly, that was all you needed to say as Imogen reached over and pushed you roughly into the deep end of the pool, you were thrown into the depths of the blue, lightly touching the bottom of the pool with your hand.

Why would Imogen do this to you? Was this her plan all along? To butter you up with affection and then throw you into a pool like a fool?

Whatever her plan was, you were not fond of it as you felt your banding underneath your wife beater get soggy from the deep blue, you quickly try to swim up to the break of the water, catch some air and then rush home as fast your legs could take you.

If they could take you far away from here.

Far, far away from this embarrassment and humiliation you were feeling set in your cheekbones.

As you swam to the break of the water, you felt a tug on your arm and you quickly look down to see Imogen under the deep blue with you, her long brown hair flowing in the water, you expect Imogen to pull you deeper in the pool and leave you hanging there while she would swim to the break , after all you were losing trust for this girl, she had pushed you into a pool.

But what happened next you did not expect whatsoever.

Imogen faces you and looks at you with her big wide brown eyes and smiles under the water before she pushes forward and meets your lips with her own, you found yourself in absolute shock, you didn't respond immediately to the kiss, but slowly you did as you closed your eyes and felt her pulsating lips upon your own, lightly tugging at your bottom lip as she pressed forward even deeper, grasping at your face with her free hand and you could lightly feel her fingernails digging into your skin, but at that moment the feeling of her nails didn't matter, only the deep touch of her plump lips against your own.

Without you noticing, you and Imogen had floated to the top of the water, breaking the water as you two continue your kiss deeply, slowly Imogen pulls away and keeps her hand lingering on your cheek as she looks at you softly, her eyes showing deep compassion from the kiss and her lips were slightly swollen. Did your lips do that?You lightly touch your own lips with your fingertips and feeling the sting of pain on your own from Imogen's eager kissing, you look at her with a tender smile playing on your own lips.

"I would never humiliate you, Adam Torres by pushing you into a pool. I wanted you to feel comfortable in your own skin around me - see?" Imogen murmured as she removes her hand from your cheek and gestures towards the floating bands in the water a few feet away from you two, usually you'd scramble after the bands and rush out of the pool as quickly as you could, but.. You didn't care.

Not when you had Imogen in your presence, she wasn't mocking you for your chest, instead she was staring at your face longingly, not even paying any attention to the bands anymore.

And once more, Imogen Moreno's words left your tongue heavy, but not your lips as you take the approach and collide two bruisers together.

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><p><strong>AN: Please review!**


	5. Horrid Line

**Note: I do not own Degrassi.**

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><p><em>Thursday<em>

You fidgeted in the hard library chair while sitting in the crowded and rather busy library which was unusual for the library, but then again, a combination of both genders sat in this room pouring their heart out about their sweetheart.

Everyone -except you.

Now the reason for your initial writers block on the assignment was not because the room was overly crowded and noisy, voices bouncing off walls and whacking you on the side of the head.

Neither was it the faint sound of rock music blaring from your best friend's headphones as he sat next to you at the wooden table, focusing hard on his letter to the shy journalist and it was already two pages long and you haven't even completed one, haven't even wrote a damn word.

It was all because of that lip bruising kiss you had underwater with Imogen yesterday, that kiss had not only made your mind complete jelly considering you hadn't kissed a girl since the posh lesbian grabbed your tie and pulled you into a eye opening smooch, but that kiss underwater had literally blown you away from the moment her plump lips had a greeting with yours.

After you two had climbed from the pool together -you pulling her small frame from the dark blue, she had given you a swift peck on the lips before scurrying off, muttering something about feeding her pet turtle and her chickens soon as she arrived home.

Since then you hadn't heard from Imogen, she hadn't called, nor texted, you didn't even see her in the halls this morning - making you feel uneasy and slightly nervous.

Or overly nervous.

You sat there, tapping your pen against the hard wood, making a light noise from the object as they bounced from each other, you sighed and looked down at the blank piece of paper, all you had written so far was,

_Dear Imogen Moreno,_

You glanced over from your own white blank page and over at Eli's where his scrawls were somewhat legible as he wrote quick and fast, pausing every now and then to bite at the end of his pencil for a train of thought and then continue on writing as if it was needed for living - which for Eli, it was.

You quickly shifted your eyes back at the beginning of Eli's letter and began reading,

_Clare,_

_Letters are pretty cheesy eh? That's what I thought of last year and it was nearly impossible for me to even write you a simple letter showing my affections - me! I published writer couldn't find the words to describe you, sure I stayed up all that night, pretty much dragged myself to school the next day to read my letter to you. _

_But now its all different, we've grown together as a couple and individuals, we've been through shit, that I will not deny, but that shit we went through - shit with my undiagnosed bipolar, you and Jake, me and Imogen, just my petty jealousy, it all made us grow in a way._

_I would not have imagined myself like this in my grade 12 year, I was sure I'd never make it to my grade 12 year at the rate I was going mentally in grade eleven. _

_But here I am, here I am controlling myself and taking things nice and slow with us this time around, because Clare, what I said that day we basically poured our hearts and souls about our past feelings - I was being truthful about all of that and I will not go back on my word whatsoever, that I prom-_

"Looking at something, Torres?" Eli asks which startles you and you immediately jump in your seat and look at Eli shamingly, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks at being caught reading something so personal, yet so powerful, but then again this did come from your best friend, the man was a master when he had a pencil between his fingers and a paper before him.

You nod sheepishly and Eli barks out a laugh as he shakes his head and mutters something about your red cheeks, you look back down at your blank paper and slowly bring your pencil to the paper and started to write whatever came to your mind - it was always that way with Eli, he always wrote what he felt and thought - then again his therapist makes him do that daily in a journal, so you found yourself stuck, but your hand continued moving.

Once you controlled your hand to stop, you peeked at what you had written on the white piece of paper and swallowed the lump down your throat at the words,

_Dear Imogen Moreno,_

_I really really really like you, and your kisses._

This was horrid, you realize as you re-read the line you wrote over and over again, it sounded so much like what Fiona had written to you a year ago, you did not want to be Fiona when it came to writing letters, you wanted to be.. You.

"Now what do we have here.." Eli says slowly as he grabs your paper from under your nose and ignores your protests which were quickly shushed by the librarian, but Eli was a quick reader and read the one line you had written with a grin on his face as he let a snort escape his lips.

"You and Imogen.. _kissed?_" Eli asked as he placed the paper back in front of you with a teasing smirk replacing his grin now as he looked at you for the answer he wanted, you groaned and rolled your eyes - only Eli could make you spill the deepest secrets, him and.. Clare could also do that as well - no wonder the two were together you thought bitterly as you nod your head at Eli's words and his smirk grew across his face.

"Wow.. Was it good?" Immediately Eli asked that question you hoped he wouldn't ask, but quickly you remembered something and a small smirk grew on your face as you say,

"Wouldn't you already know?"

Eli's smirk fell a bit, but still stayed stuck on his jaw as he snickered and sighed,

"Touché, Torres. Touché, but you still need to write Imo something better than this garbage, you aren't in advanced grade 12 English for nothing." Eli said honestly as he gestured towards your horrible start of a letter.

"Then how did you manage to write Clare a two paged letter - all in forty five minutes?" You question your smug friend and he chuckles at your question.

"Its because I have history to write on, Adam. I listen to her - I listen about her and Alli's continuing fight, I listen about her and Jake trying to be friends, I listen to her and Helen's feud. I listen to her so I know things about her, like I know when she has a bad day she'll go the whole day with the arms crossed demeanor like some stereotypical movie teenager or when she's not feeling good, she'll rest her head on my shoulder and I tell her sweet things to get her by. Its all based on my history with Clare - that and my love for her basically covers a two paged letter, I could write more, but.. I don't wanna seem so.. Suffocating again." Eli confessed as he straighten up his letter for Clare, you stared at your best friend in awe at his words.

His words were something you needed to start on this letter, his words were fuel to your engine in your hand that would start off your writing, without those words, you'd be screwed.

But as you pull out a clean sheet of white paper and begin writing 'Dear Imogen Moreno," not only does Imogen have heavy words, but so does Eli as well.

"I can see you two being together - it makes sense for you to go after a girl who liked me first, you take after your dumbass of a brother, I'm proud of you, Torres and I'm sure Imo is too."

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><p><strong>AN: Please review! **


	6. Polka Dot Leggings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.**

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><p><em>Friday<em>

You walk into the crowded and rather loud lunch room in your devil aroused school with a grimace on your face and a sweat filled letter in your back pocket.

Today was the final day in the school's sweetheart week, it was February fourteenth and before you had even stepped out of your brother's jeep you could taste the aroma of love and tension in the brisk morning air.

Now you walk through the cafeteria, bumping into pairs who send you some unwanted signals which you wish you had either stomach to return or if Eli was by your side to nonchalantly return those signals on your behalf.

But Eli is already at the lover's lunch table, his hand intertwined with Clare's as he looks at her with his full attention as she rambles on about something along the lines of a new Taylor Swift CD coming out and how she's saving her money up from chores and babysitting to buy it when it releases around this area, but even from your standing point you can see that Eli was strategizing some plan to preorder her the CD and surprise her with it before summer appears., that was clever Eli for you.

You swiftly move past your two friends, sending them both a awkward wave which they reply back with the same gesture as you search the room for Imogen who told you over text message last night she would be the one to get them a table, it was odd to you considering you had plans to sneak from fourth period early to get a good table, but Imogen had relieved you from those duties and now you were late to your own date.

But as you past by tables, you couldn't help but overhear their private and very personal conversations on this valentine's day afternoon.

…

"Dear Jenna, whenever I am forced to write about you, its kinda hard considering like.. Writing is hard and so is a lot of other things, but yeah.."

…

"Dear Hannah, I think you always look exquisite in your purple uniform and whenever you walk by, I have myocardial infarction.."

…

"Dear Alli, I've been crushing on you for as long as I can remember and even though I had to go through humiliation and having to dump Sadie to get to where we are now, I'd do it all over again.."

…

"Dear Katie, writing letters are hard so, I love you.."

…

As you hear other's letters you swallow a huge lump down your throat as the fear sets in, what if Imogen loathes your letter? What if her letter is better than yours? What if this letter exchange turns into a huge fiasco and you won't be able to ask her what you have been wanting to ask her since Tuesday.

The big question, not a question to ask her what her new quirky obsession will be the following week or if she had fed her pet chickens this morning, you meant asking her if she'd be yours.. For good.

You wanted Imogen Moreno to be your girlfriend, you wanted her to skip up next to you, grab your hand and call you her boyfriend.

You wanted to steal kisses from her during class, let her borrow your jacket when its cold, you wanted to fall in love with her.

_But you are not the man._

_You will never be the man._

_You are not a man._

"You are right, I'm not a man." You murmur to yourself as you stop and take a deep breath, realizing this all wouldn't work out, none of it would, well, at least it had been a favored five days for you..

"And why would you say you are not a man, Adam Torres?"

You jump at the peppy voice and look down to see you had stopped directly at the unique history fanatic's table.

Imogen sat at the table, wearing a short frilly dress which was orange on the top and the frills were a light blue, splattered with what looked of green water paint, she wore her combat boots with polka dotted leggings, some holes in her knees, but she didn't seem to have noticed that.

Her hair was in a large bun, bobby pinned down perfectly on the top of her head, well not perfectly, considering some hairs were sticking out, another thing she wasn't obsessing over, but she did have a panda bear bow on the left side of her head, she looked at you with a grin playing on her lips.

"Well, are you going to sit down and answer me, Adam Torres?" Imogen asked as she gestured to the seat across from her, you give her a small smile before sitting across from her, nerves setting into your bones, fear rushing through your veins, pumping the emotion into your heart which was beating rapidly against your ribcage - you were sure that KC Guthrie and Jenna Middleton, who had a table next to you two could hear the sound of your erratic heartbeat.

"Should we read each other's letters now?" You ask Imogen as you reach to your back pocket to pull out the sweaty letter you had written for the quirky brunette across from you who was playing with one of the flowers on the table.

Imogen snapped her head up and looked at you with blank brown eyes which made you gulp, she didn't reach for her panda backpack which was on the floor or even for her bra to pull out any type of letter, which only made you even more nervous.

"Truth is, Adam Torres. I didn't write you a letter. I spent all yesterday with a blank piece of paper in front of me, trying to write, but I couldn't. I couldn't put into words how much I have grown to like you this past week. If I could, it'd be one long piece of paper and you'd take days to read it.. But in simple words, I like you, a lot. That underwater kiss wasn't nothing you know, it meant a lot to me, especially here." Imogen then placed her hand over her orange clad chest with a sweet smile on her face. "What I'm trying to say is, you are the man for me, Adam Torres. I've gone through countless crushes with guys, but with you, it means something. " Imogen concluded as she pulls the letter from your shocked fingertips and tosses it into the trashcan without any hesitation before she reaches over and grasps your hands with her own tightly.

You didn't say a word to her, you couldn't find your tongue, you were sure you'd never speak with this tongue ever again after what Imogen had confessed and concluded, she had even thrown out the letter you had written to her, knowing that fine words on paper wouldn't do a single thing, even though the writing had given you bogus cramps.

"Its you, Adam Torres. You are the man."

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><p><strong>AN: That's it! The final chapter to this little story! Hope you enjoyed it, please review!**


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